​Elon University boasts “a beautiful campus” and “one of the best study abroad programs in the country.” Although located in the small town of Elon, North Carolina, the school has an “emphasis on global awareness” and “encourages awareness and action [on] global issues” while producing “global leaders” that will “make the world a better place.” The global focus is displayed in the “phenomenal” study abroad program that is hugely popular with students. “Seventy[-two] percent of our student body has been abroad,” one student explains. “I got the chance to study in Los Angeles, Turkey and Dubai. Those trips were the best part about going to Elon.”

The “small classes” really “facilitate relationships with professors” and there are “incredible opportunities for hands-on engagement and close mentorship.” “The relationships between students and professors is so strong and personal, and has really shaped my college experience,” one happy student says. Professors are described as “enthusiastic,” “engaging,” “kind” and “very experienced.” “Professors know their students names and are genuinely interested in their success throughout their time at Elon,” one student explains. Classes are often “discussion based” and this makes the classrooms “atmospheres for thoughtful discussions and learning.” The school goes out of the way to connect students with the faculty. “The sense of community is heightened by the amazing traditions at Elon,” a strategic communications major explains, “including College Coffee, where students and professors get to mix and mingle over free pastries and coffee every Tuesday morning.” Like the professors, the staff and administration are “engaged and friendly.”

“Elon pays attention to the WHOLE student—not just grades, athletics, or involvement” and academics here are “all about connections, whether between individuals, groups, or simply concepts.” A human service studies student says, “I have been pushed by my professors, peers, and mentors to become my best student, leader, and person since stepping on this campus.” One biochemistry major puts it more simply: “You [could] never create a more perfect university if you tried.”

There is a “strong sense of community” among the Elon student body. Students “fit in with organizations they become involved in,” which is easy since almost every student “is involved in several on-campus organizations” and “feels a genuine sense of belonging and appreciation across campus.”

One word sums up life at Elon: “BUSY.” Students here are “engaged” and “over-involved with everything, and extend ourselves too far at times.” “Over-commitment IS the norm, and students are professionals in training rather than kids,” one student clarifies. “It’s kind of the Elon ‘joke’ that every student here is involved in at least two extracurricular activities” and the student body “wants to make an impact in real world.” Still, students “work hard and play hard” at Elon. “Greek life dominates the social scene.” That said, “recently, the social scene for non-Greeks has definitely increased with club sports teams and other student organizations throwing open parties.” Plenty happens on campus including “movie nights, Bingo, concerts, and other fun events.”

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These college profiles are adapted from The Princeton Review's Best 379 Colleges Guide. This guide provides narrative descriptions of schools' academics, student body, and campus life, in addition to other general information. To view these details, you must create a free Princeton Review account.